Jagatguru Adi Shankaracharya was a great philosopher, mystic, poet, devotee and religious reformer. He was born in 788 at Kaladi village in Kerala. He was the only son of a devout Nambudini Brahami couple, Sivaguru and Aryamba. It is believed that he was born as a result of their long prayers to Lord Shiva. He was an infant prodigy and completed Vedic studies by the age of eight. His father died when he was still young and it was his mother who brought him up with loving care.
Shankar exhibited ascetic tendencies and asked permission of his mother to enter the ashrama of Sanyasa. Unwillinginly, she permitted him. Shankara met Govinda Bhagavatpada and became his disciple. After completing his Vedantic studies and Sadhana, he proceeded to Varanasi to spread the message of Advaita Vedanta. He toured the country andl established himself as a champion of Vedanta philosophy. Shankara I established Maths in four places of India. In 820 A.D. he died. He expounded the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, which is the essence of theVedas.